How to Light Up Artwork on the Walls

Whether your treasured art was acquired at a yard sale or high-end gallery, the right lighting helps to display it the way the artist intended. Natural light is preferred when artwork is being created, but once it has been completed, the finished piece should be kept out of direct sunlight to prevent damage from ultraviolet rays. Museums and galleries generally favor track lighting to light artwork on walls due to the versatility of this type of lighting system.

Instructions

- 1
  Choose the style of the track-lighting system. Track-lighting fixtures are available in a range of styles, sizes and colors. Features include fixed or bendable tracks. The number and size of the artwork, room decor and size should also guide your choice.
- 2
  Consider halogen bulbs. Halogen lighting is preferred by lighting designers because colors appear more true under its bright white light as compared to fluorescent or incandescent light. Incandescent lights tend to cast a yellow hue, which affects the way colors display in an art piece.
- 3
  Choose accent lighting that is 3 times as bright as the light in the room. This ratio highlights the art so that the display is neither too dark nor too bright. The general rule of thumb for calculating the amount of wattage in a room is width x length x 1.5. Using this formula, a 10 x 10 room should have a minimum of 150 watts total of ambient light, and the lighting for the artwork should equal a minimum of 450 watts in total.
- 4
  Position the light fixtures so that they are at a 30-degree angle from the artwork. This angle highlights the art best and reduces glare and shadows. Adjust the angle 5 degrees in either direction as needed, to achieve the best display.

Recessed Vs. Track Lighting

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